With the huge interest in the story of Viet Khang, I'm making a rare occasion to update you on the Free Viet Khang progress. Although you may see this article as "non-music related", we must not forget that Viet Khang was put in jail for writing two songs: "Việt Nam Tôi Đâu?" and "Anh Là Ai?" They are patriotic songs that inspire a better Vietnam and paints the Communist government in a poor light.

Most of the update is from the excellent coverage from vanganh.info, which I'll summarize for those who can't read Vietnamese:
About 700 people (mostly Vietnamese, some Hmong, some Americans) gathered in Washington DC on Saturday 3/4/2012 to prep their meeting with the White House for Tuesday, today, March 6th.

As expected, a lot of Washingtonians was at the scene, but I was surprised to hear people from all over (Chicagoans, Californians, Minnesotans, Philadelphians) traveling out to attend and support the Free Viet Khang moment.

The event is headed by Truc Ho, from SBTN (Saigon Broadcasting Television Network), and based on the pictures and reports, everything looks well organized.

The campaign is hoping to bring light to Vietnam's terrible human rights policy (or lack thereof), and asks President Barack Obama to stop trades with countries who disrespect those rights.

Currently the number of petition signatures is more than 130,000. Everyone is happy about the coverage and support.

Wednesday, 15 February 2012

It's kind of interesting to see that Việt Khang, seen here wearing a Fall Out Boy T-Shirt. Fall Out Boy's music is like punk and rock and seems to appeal to the youth.

The choice in shirt is interesting as well, it is part of their "Young Wild Things Tour" which was inspired by "Where the Wild Things Are" children book. Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz explained that the book "encapsulates pretty much every FOB song ever written: You know, tantrums and monster islands and all."

As far as I know, FOB never toured in Vietnam, and if they did, they would have to compromise their setlist (and I don't think the rebel in them would allow that)... unlike protest singer, Bob Dylan, who recently played in Vietnam last year.

ANH LA AI (Who are you)

By Việt Khang

May I ask, who are you?
Why arrest me? What have I done wrong?
May I ask, who are you?
Why beat me without the slightest mercy?
May I ask, who are you?
To keep me from protesting
For love of this country, whose people have endured far too much!

May I ask, where are you?
Forbidding me from opposing a Chinese invasion
May I ask, where are you?
Why scold me in the language of my people?

Where is your nationalism?
Why consciously take orders from China?
You will leave a mark to last a thousand years
Your hands will be stained with the blood of our people

I cannot sit still
While Vietnam collapses
And my people sink
Into a thousand years of eternal darkness

I cannot sit still
My children and the next generation deserve a future
Where will our roots be
When Vietnam is no longer in this world?

Sometime we forget how lucky we are to be in a country that allow its people the freedom of speech. The rights to his or her religion, ideas, press, assembly and petition are well documented in the United States Constitution.

In Vietnam, Việt Khang wrote and recorded two protest songs, “Việt Nam Tôi Đâu?” (Where is My Vietnam?) and “Anh Là Ai?” (Who Are You?). After posting the songs online, Vietnamese police arrested Việt Khang. Twice, once on September 16th, and again on December 23rd, 2011. As of this writing, he's still be held (no charges were given).

There is a small movement, particularly Vietnamese in the United States trying to free Khang. Musicians, amateurs, and regular people, all over the world have recorded their version Khang's two songs to help spread Khang's message.

"Anh Là Ai?" is clearly the more popular song, as far as it being covered. Below are just some of the more popular one on youtube.

We are writing to you as fellow songwriters, artists, free expressionists of this great nation in hopes that you will be changed by what you read below and are compelled to help free an innocent expressionist.

Very currently, on December 31st, 2011, a year of music and patriotic passion has ended for a fellow songwriter in Vietnam. 2012 is not looking hopeful for him or any of us who believe in human rights as well as freedom of expression for the country. In light of China and Vietnam's current dispute over the Spratly islands Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, Vietnamese singer/songwriter VIET KHANG had written and shared songs of grief over his country's loss. They've spread rapidly online. His songs titled "Anh La Ai (roughly translates to: 'Who are you?')" and "Viet Nam Toi Dau ('Where is my Vietnam?')" spoke on behalf of the Vietnamese citizens hurting from these current events. He has recently been arrested and imprisoned by the Vietnamese government for said actions. With lyrics that ask, why does my country deserve more bloodshed?, from a patriotic soul, many are outraged that a song written to express love and concern for its country would yield such violent reactions from its own leaders.

In a world where rapists, murderers, and terrorists roam among us, it begs the question, why are these authorities using precious security resources to arrest a patriotic singer/songwriter? VIET KHANG is still currently held in jail, under an accusation unbeknown to us. Above is an English translation to his song "Anh La Ai". We ask, with as much assertiveness as you will allow us, that you take action by passing this letter forward to your sources, writing to national authorities, signing the existing petitions online to 'Free Viet Khang', and using every heard voice within your network to free this silenced artist.

We here in America have the gift of freedom to stand by what we believe in and speak on what is just, so please use that precious right to free your fellow artist. Do what you can and everything you can so that the hope for basic human rights throughout this world does not continue to wither as 2012 has only begun.

Just a follow-up on my Viet Khang article, people have pointed out to me that Vietnam has no human rights. According to hrw.org:

In 2011, the government prosecuted at least 33 peaceful activists and sentenced them to a total of 185 years in prison, to be followed by a total of 75 years on probation. Among those convicted for their peaceful advocacy are Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu, a prominent legal activist; and Phung Lam, Vi Duc Hoi, Nguyen Ba Dang, Pham Minh Hoang, Lu Van Bay, and Ho Thi Bich Khuong, all prominent pro-democracy advocates and human rights bloggers. The authorities arrested at least 27 other rights activists pending investigation and/or trial. At least two bloggers – Nguyen Van Hai (a.k.a. Dieu Cay) and Phan Thanh Hai (a.k.a. Anhbasg– have been held without trial since 2010.

March 6, Vietnam delegations will meet with Congress to have their voice heard (having received over 54,000 signatures for the petition of human rights on the White House website).

Translated from nguoi-viet.com: In an interview with Truc Ho, general manager of SBTN TV, he said, "On Saturday, a White House official called Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang asking to meet with the Vietnam community. They asked to hear and understand the content and meaning of the two songs composed by Viet Khang. These are the songs 'Anh La Ai' And 'Viet Nam Toi Dau'.

We can see that Vietnam's Communist Government's escalation of crackdown has targeted the voices of the conscience such as Paulus Le Son, and many Vietnamese patriots for exercising their rights to free speech and expression.

Recently, I received disturbing reports that another youth activist and Vietnamese songwriter, Viet Khang Tri Minh Vo, was detained and imprisoned by Vietnamese police and government. Viet Khang's songs question the conscience of the Vietnamese police who have brutally arrested demonstrators at peaceful gatherings. It is time for the government of Vietnam to respect the freedom of expressing through the arts and stop these arbitrary arrests and recognize the basic human rights of the individual.

I urged my colleges to co-sponsor House Resolution 484, calling on the Vietnamese Government to cease the abuse of vague national security provisions in the Vietnamese penal code, which are used to justify the detention and the abuse of their own citizens."

Paulus Le Son was arrested in 2011 for blogging about social and political events in Vietnam. His arrest is described as a "police kidnapping".

UPDATE: 03/06/12:

Sally and I recorded W♥M #124 which addressed Viet Khang's unfairly imprisonment in December 2011. Since the topics varies on the 30 min show, I have taken a five-minute excerpt of the Viet Khang part for your listening pleasure. It's paired with "That's Not My Name" by the Ting Tings.

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